A recent partnership has launched Sungrid Group’s latest offerings, the SOLSAVE Sun-Preneurship Kits and Stalls, providing entrepreneurs across the continent with far more independence and sustainable infrastructure for their start up business, via solar powered solutions.

“The programme involves pairing an investor with a UK business seeking foreign direct investment. The applicant invests a minimum of £200,000 into a business and, subject to certain visa requirements, the applicant and their dependants will be granted UK residency rights and later citizenship if all requirements are met,” explains Gary Kockott, Managing Director of Sable.

This unique programme matches investor skills and experience with a range of business investment opportunities. We also ensure that applicants meet the UK’s Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa qualifying criteria.”

The programme is currently aimed at South Africans looking to sell off their local assets and emigrate to the UK. This visa entitles the holder and their dependants to live and work in the UK for three years, with the option to extend for a further two years if certain criteria are met. Once a holder has spent five years in the UK on this visa, they will be able to apply for permanent residency and begin the process of becoming a British citizen and passport holder after an additional year.

“Investors not only secure a profitable investment into a UK business,” Kockott tells us, “but can also obtain UK residency, and ultimately UK citizenship, for themselves and their family.”

British passports have always been desirable and the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa has less onerous financial conditions compared to other Tier 1 visas.

“This visa has a lower entry cost than other UK investment visas. The Tier 1 Investment visa, for example, requires a minimum investment of £2 million, putting it out of reach of the vast majority of investors.”

With the recent Rand strength and Pound weakness and the attractiveness of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa, many South Africans are beginning to explore the idea of investing in the UK.

Kockott also pointed out that Sable specialises in UK investment advice. In addition to this, the company has a team of UK visa and immigration experts with over two decades of experience that will help applicants transition to the UK. Specifically, the programme’s service offering includes:

Immigration advice and visa application assistance

Access to a proprietary database of investment opportunities

Corporate legal services and tax advice from qualified professionals

Monitoring of business until you obtain permanent residency

Complimentary online English language training

“Together with our partners, we also offer a range of ancillary services ranging from things as simple as airport transfers to more complex decisions like educational advice for your children and where to buy your residential property,” Kockott adds.

“Essentially, we’ll help applicants ensure that their lives are set up in the UK as smoothly as possible

“With offices in Cape Town and London, we are perfectly positioned to help South Africans invest in, and move to, the UK through this programme. Ultimately, this is a great way of achieving many of our clients’ long-term business goals and UK residency ambitions.”

New research shows that social entrepreneurship is taking root in both developing and developed nations – with more entrepreneurs focusing on doing good – rather than solely making a profit; and African entrepreneurs are among those leading the way.

Do you have a viable, black-owned small business that would benefit from mentorship, training and business support? SAB Foundation invites interested parties to apply to the 2016Tholoana Enterprise Programme.

Successful candidates will be part of a high-energy solution that has helped hundreds of businesses to accelerate their success. Wrap-around support, c and qualified investment-readiness support, has been shown to improve the confidence and skills of entrepreneurs.

“Our partnership with small business growth specialists, Fetola, boosts the sustainability and success of the businesses in our Tholoana programme,” explains Bridgit Evans, head of the SAB Foundation.

“Tholoana offers committed candidates an incredible opportunity to take their business to the next level.”

The Tholoana Enterprise Programme supports small enterprises that benefit – or are run by – women, the youth and those living in rural and peri-urban areas. The SAB Foundation is especially keen to create opportunities for disabled entrepreneurs, who are strongly encouraged to apply. Similarly, applications are welcome from businesses working in new and/or growing sectors such as export, manufacturing, food processing, water, energy andwaste management.

“We want to make an impact in communities, areas and regions that are often under-resourced and have limited opportunities. To achieve this we are looking for the best candidates across all nine provinces, and will only consider enterprises with a proven business concept, a track record of trading and potential for growth,” concludes Evans.

If you are an entrepreneur or business owner with a registered business (or in the process of registering) that has been in operation for at least six months and less than five years, you may be eligible for the programme. Visit www.sabfoundation.co.za to review the entry criteria and submit an application.

Cape Business News recently spoke to Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde at his Long Street office. He spoke about the importance of entrepreneurs and business owners to the local and national economy.

“We have the most amazing entrepreneurs with incredible ideas that cause great disruptions to the system. This is exactly what the economy needs,” enthuses Winde.

He goes on to point to the difficult, global, business ecosystem that companies currently have to toil in. This makes it tough to find the growth necessary to turn the economy around.

“This is what we have to work with, and the trick is to find the opportunities this strapped economy carries,” he continues.

Winde knows first-hand the challenges and triumphs that business people face, having started and run around 10 businesses in Knysna before he turned his hand to politics.

“I really enjoyed the challenge of getting a business going and seeing some gap in the market and setting up the business.”

The Western Cape has started up a project called Project Khulisa that looks at tourism, agri-processing, as well as oil and gas on the west coast.

“As government it is our job to enable the environment, as this creates an ecosystem where the economy can create jobs and grow,” continues Winde.

Government has to make sure that the economy runs smoothly by ensuring that there is;

· Electricity

· Water

· Efficient skills

Winde went on to make a joke about peoples’ idea of politicians, saying that they are uncontactable and sit up in ivory towers. He smiled in his bright office as the cars and the hustle and bustle went about in the streets outside. He ensured us that he doesn’t even have a security desk that you need to check in with.

“I always try to be contactable, you can tweet me, Facebook me and you can phone me. I am always available in that space. ”

The Nedbank Stellenbosch University LaunchLab has kicked off with the first leg of its biannual Ideas Programme Pitching Platform for 2016. Participants stand a chance of winning their share of over R150,000 of incubation support services.

Seed Academy is offering entrepreneurial training in both Cape Town and Johannesburg and has more than R2.4m of sponsored training available for early stage tech and women entrepreneurs. Applications are open with courses starting regularly.